(ENG) Lapis the Child of Sea

Chapter Ten: A Soft Heart

Lapis was very happy to go to her uncle. Although she couldn't understand why it was so sudden and sneaky but she liked to set off in the middle of the night. She had watched the stars at night and now she was looking around on the boat. When she came with Poseidon, she didn't come in this way. She didn't know why David had chosen this route, but she liked travelling with the silent boatman. Lapis looked at the boatman out of the corner of her eye. He was silently watching Lapis with his empty, death-like eyes behind his cloak. After all, Charon the boatman was seeing his nephew for the first time.

Her eyes resembled David, but her gaze was like that of the god of the sea. There was a suppressed excitement and curiosity in her silver eyes. She seemed to want to talk to him, but it was obvious that she was hesitating. Lapis turned her eyes to her father after a while. She tugged his arm and whispered something in his ear. "His name is Charon. And yes, we both born from the Night." Lapis asked a few more questions and David answered them all.

When Lapis felt a little more comfortable, she spoke in a normal voice instead of whispering. From the edge of the boat, she watched the river and the surroundings, which were similar to the magical, dark forest that surrounded them. There were many souls of people around. Her eyes were worried as she was searching for Belen with her eyes. "Are they people without drachmas?" Lapis turned her eyes to her uncle. Charon nodded his head silently. When Lapis looked at her father, David told her not to worry. They were souls that would reach Hades sooner or later. "I haven't seen Belen." He stepped away from the edge of the boat and looked at Charon. "Did you take her?" The boatman wouldn't talk to the souls he took, he wouldn't ask their names. He carried hundreds of people daily on this boat and it is not his job to remember them all.

"Don't worry Lapis, Charon surely took her to there." David took Lapis's hand and told her not to worry. He asked Lapis something different to change the subject. Lapis was very excited when he asked her about the last book she had been reading. She had started to read an old book again. She was reading again the book Ao Guang had given her as a gift. There were dragons, flamboyant palaces and warriors with swords. Not every story had a good ending, but they were still very exciting.

When the boat approached the port, Lapis jumped on the port and ran towards the palace gate.

David thanked Charon before getting off the boat. He was suddenly worried about Lapis, who was talking all the way, was bothering him. Of course, souls who talked a lot must have come and gone on his boat, but still...

Charon had noticed this. "You have a very energetic daughter for an old man like me, David. Still, you're raising her well among the gods." Charon leaned his oar against the port board. With the help of the oar, he moved his boat away from the port. "I think you liked Lapis," David said, smiling. "She's a girl who makes you like her," Charon admitted. The girl's energy never did tired him. According to Charon, this was a good trait. "Anyway. May her fortune be as bright as her smiling face and may the Night always be with her."

As Charon sailed away on the river with his boat, David headed to the palace. Kebele met him at the door. "Do you really think it will work?" 

David sighed. "It's good to see you too, Kebele." Kebele looked around for a moment, her eyes were searching for Poseidon. "Have you been hiding something from your lord?" They were actually waiting for him to come. He was the last person to leave Lapis alone in this situation. "If that's the case, he'll find out one day." 

"Don't worry, that was his plan. Besides, he had a meeting to attend." David told her what happened. When he said this, she also understood the situation of all the people who died by drowning. They themselves realised that it wasn't a normal situation, but they couldn't sit and talk about it with the souls. "You can tell me about it later," said Kebele. She didn't want to talk about Poseidon and asked what was Lapis's opinion about this plan. "She was excited to hear about it, actually. She seems ready to accept as much help as she can get."